U.S. patent application number 11/624755 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-13 for presentation of data on multiple display devices using a wireless home entertainment hub.
This patent application is currently assigned to Technology, Patents & Licensing, Inc.. Invention is credited to Edward A. Ehrlacher, Patrick T. Igoe.
Application Number | 20080066124 11/624755 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39185801 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080066124 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Igoe; Patrick T. ; et
al. |
March 13, 2008 |
Presentation of Data on Multiple Display Devices Using a Wireless
Home Entertainment Hub
Abstract
A method of presenting program content on multiple display
devices using a wireless home entertainment hub includes obtaining
a registration of a plurality of devices with the wireless home
entertainment hub, where the devices include at least two display
devices. A request for program content is received from a user. The
program content is caused to be displayed on a primary display
device selected from the at least two display devices. Supplemental
video content is caused to be displayed on one or more secondary
displays devices from the at least two display devices, where the
supplemental video content corresponds to the program content.
Inventors: |
Igoe; Patrick T.;
(Philadelphia, PA) ; Ehrlacher; Edward A.;
(Philadelphia, PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TECHNOLOGY, PATENTS AND LICENSING, INC.
2003 South EASTON ROAD, SUITE 208
DOYLESTOWN
PA
18901
US
|
Assignee: |
Technology, Patents &
Licensing, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
39185801 |
Appl. No.: |
11/624755 |
Filed: |
January 19, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
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Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11563486 |
Nov 27, 2006 |
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11624755 |
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11470862 |
Sep 7, 2006 |
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11563486 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
725/81 ; 725/135;
725/136; 725/25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/42204 20130101;
H04L 12/2812 20130101; H04L 2012/2849 20130101; H04N 5/4403
20130101; H04L 12/2809 20130101; Y02D 70/144 20180101; H04N 21/4108
20130101; H04N 21/4122 20130101; H04N 5/765 20130101; H04N 21/43637
20130101; H04N 21/44218 20130101; Y02D 70/142 20180101; H04W 84/18
20130101; H04N 5/602 20130101; H04N 21/812 20130101; H04W 52/0254
20130101; H04L 12/2827 20130101; H04N 21/4782 20130101; Y02D 70/26
20180101; H04W 4/06 20130101; H04W 60/00 20130101; Y02D 30/70
20200801; H04L 2012/2841 20130101; H04N 21/8153 20130101; H04N
21/43615 20130101; Y02D 70/166 20180101; H04L 12/2838 20130101;
H04W 8/005 20130101; H04W 48/08 20130101; H04N 7/148 20130101; Y02D
70/162 20180101; H04N 21/4788 20130101; H04N 21/4143 20130101; H04W
8/26 20130101; Y02D 70/23 20180101; H04N 21/440209 20130101; H04N
21/4222 20130101; H04N 21/485 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
725/81 ; 725/25;
725/135; 725/136 |
International
Class: |
H04N 7/18 20060101
H04N007/18; H04N 7/16 20060101 H04N007/16 |
Claims
1. A method of presenting program content on multiple display
devices using a wireless home entertainment hub, the method
comprising: (a) obtaining a registration of a plurality of devices
with the wireless home entertainment hub, wherein the devices
include at least two display devices; (b) receiving a request for
program content from a user; (c) causing the program content to be
displayed on a primary display device selected from the at least
two display devices; and (d) causing supplemental video content to
be displayed on one or more secondary displays devices from the at
least two display devices, wherein the supplemental video content
corresponds to the program content.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental video content
includes one or more additional streams of video data in the
program content.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more additional
streams of video data are displayed on different secondary display
devices.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental video content
includes an advertisement corresponding to a product or service
being presented to the user on the primary display.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the program content to be
displayed includes transmitting an instruction to the source device
to transmit the program content to the primary display device and
transmitting a set of different instructions to the primary display
device to receive the program content.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the program content to be
displayed includes transmitting the program content by the wireless
home entertainment hub to the primary display device.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the supplemental video
content to be displayed includes transmitting an instruction to the
source device to transmit the supplemental video content to the one
or more secondary devices and transmitting a set of different
instructions to one or more secondary display device to receive the
supplemental video content.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the supplemental video
content to be displayed includes transmitting the supplemental
content by the wireless home entertainment hub to the one or more
secondary display devices.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental video content
includes a page on a website where a link to the website is
obtained by the wireless home entertainment hub from the program
content.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the link to the website is
presented to the user on the primary display.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content
includes still image data obtained from a video frame capture of
the program content displayed on the primary display device.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein different still image data is
presented on each of the one or more secondary display devices.
13. A method of presenting program content containing more than one
video stream on multiple display devices using a wireless home
entertainment hub, the method comprising: (a) obtaining a
registration of a plurality of devices with the wireless home
entertainment hub, wherein the devices include at least two display
devices; (b) receiving a request for program content from a user,
wherein the program content includes more than one stream of video
data; (c) determining a set of devices chosen from the at least two
display devices used to present the program content to the user;
(d) transmitting an instruction to a source device to present the
program content, wherein the source device is registered with the
home entertainment hub; and (e) transmitting a different set of
instructions to the a set of devices chosen from the at least two
display devices to receive a different stream of the more than one
stream of video data included in the program content transmitted
from the source device.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein one stream of the more than one
stream of video data is identified as a primary stream.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein all other streams of the more
than one stream of the video data not identified as the primary
stream are identified as a secondary stream.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one secondary
stream of the more than one stream of video data includes
advertisements corresponding to products or services being
presented in the primary stream.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least two display
devices are located in the same zone of a home entertainment
system.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least two display
devices are positioned to at least partially encircle a viewing
location.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein the subset of the at least two
display devices is determined based on the number of video streams
included in the program content.
20. A method of presenting a program content containing multiple
video streams on a display device, the method comprising: (a)
obtaining a registration of a plurality of devices, wherein the
plurality of devices include at least one source device and at
least one display device; (b) receiving a request for program
content from a user; (c) determining whether the program content
includes more than one stream of video data; (d) aggregating the
more than one stream of video data to form a composite video
program stream for presentation on the at least one display device;
and (e) transmitting the composite program stream to the at least
one display device for presentation to the user.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein a subset of the more than one
stream of video data are aggregated by the wireless home
entertainment hub to form the composite video program stream.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein the aggregating includes
matching the number of streams of video data in the composite video
programs stream to the number of display devices available for
presentation of the program content.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/563,486, entitled Inventory of
Home Entertainment System Devices Using a Wireless Home
Entertainment Hub, filed Nov. 27, 2006, Attorney Docket No.
TPL-010-US1, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/470,862, entitled Data Presentation Using a
Wireless Home Entertainment Hub, filed Sep. 7, 2006, Attorney
Docket No. TPL-009-US1, the entire disclosures of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/535,211, entitled Device Registration Using
a Wireless Home Entertainment Hub, filed Sep. 26, 2006, Attorney
Docket No. TPL-009-US5; U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/535,216, entitled User Directed Device Registration Using a
Wireless Home Entertainment Hub, filed Sep. 26, 2006, Attorney
Docket No. TPL-009-US6; U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/535,232, entitled Source Device Change using a Wireless Home
Entertainment Hub, filed Sep. 26, 2006, Attorney Docket No.
TPL-009-US7; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/470,872, entitled
Control of Data Presentation Using a Wireless Home Entertainment
Hub, filed Sep. 7, 2006, Attorney Docket No. TPL-009-US2; U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/470,879, entitled Data Presentation
from Multiple Sources using a Wireless Home Entertainment Hub,
filed Sep. 7, 2006, Attorney Docket No. TPL-009-US3; U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/470,895, entitled Control of Data
Presentation from Multiple Sources Using a Wireless Home
Entertainment Hub, filed Sep. 7, 2006, Attorney Docket No.
TPL-009-US4, U.S. application Ser. No. 11/563,366, entitled Control
of Access to Data Using a Wireless Home Entertainment Hub, filed
Nov. 27, 2006, Attorney Docket No. TPL-009-US8; U.S. application
Ser. No. 11/563,520, entitled Connecting a Legacy Device into a
Home Entertainment System Using a Wireless Home Entertainment Hub,
filed Nov. 27, 2006, Attorney Docket No. TPL-010-US2; U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/563,530, entitled Data Presentation in
Multiple Zones Using a Wireless Home Entertainment Hub, filed Nov.
27, 2006, Attorney Docket No. TPL-010-US3 and U.S. application Ser.
No. 11/563,503, entitled Control of Data Presentation in Multiple
Zones Using a Wireless Home Entertainment Hub, filed Nov. 27, 2006,
Attorney Docket No. TPL-010-US4, the entire disclosures of which
are incorporated herein by reference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] The following detailed description will be better understood
when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which there
is shown one or more of the multiple embodiments of the present
invention. It should be understood, however, that the various
embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the precise
arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings.
[0004] In the Drawings:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a home entertainment system
according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a use-case diagram of a wireless home
entertainment hub in accordance with the home entertainment system
of FIG. 1;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram of user-initiated automatic
registration in accordance with the home entertainment system of
FIG. 1;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram of manual device registration
in accordance with the home entertainment system of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram of source activation in
accordance with the home entertainment system of FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of direct source to sink
transmission of data within the home entertainment system of FIG.
1;
[0011] FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of transmission of data
directed by the wireless home entertainment hub within the home
entertainment system of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram of operation of a remote
control in accordance with the wireless home entertainment system
of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 9 is a system diagram of an audio/visual receiver used
to connect speakers to the wireless home entertainment hub of FIG.
1;
[0014] FIG. 10 is a system diagram of a wireless network interface
box used to connect non-wireless enabled devices to the wireless
home entertainment hub of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 11 is a system diagram of a multiple display device
configuration in accordance with the home entertainment system of
FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 12 is a system diagram of an implementation of using
multiple display devices for a wide-angle display in accordance
with the home entertainment system of FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 13 illustrates a series of exemplary user interface
display device screens for registering devices in accordance with
the home entertainment system of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 14 illustrates a series of exemplary user interface
display device screens for registering speakers in accordance with
the home entertainment system of FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 15 illustrates a series of exemplary user interface
display device screens for showing missing devices in accordance
with the home entertainment system of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 16 a sequence diagram of an audio calibration procedure
using the wireless home entertainment hub in accordance with the
home entertainment system of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 17 a sequence diagram of re-directing program content
by the wireless home entertainment hub based on movement of a user
within the home entertainment system of FIG. 1; and
[0022] FIG. 18 a sequence diagram of re-directing voice-over-IP
data by the wireless home entertainment hub based on movement of a
user within the home entertainment system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and
is not to be taken as a limitation on the embodiments of the
present invention. In the drawings, the same reference letters are
employed for designating the same elements throughout the several
figures.
[0024] The words "right", "left", "lower" and "upper" designate
directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words
"inwardly" and "outwardly" refer to directions toward and away
from, respectively, the geometric center of the home entertainment
system and designated parts thereof. The terminology includes the
words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words
of similar import.
[0025] Unified Modeling Language ("UML") can be used to model
and/or describe methods and systems and provide the basis for
better understanding their functionality and internal operation as
well as describing interfaces with external components, systems and
people using standardized notation. When used herein, UML diagrams
including, but not limited to, use case diagrams, class diagrams
and activity diagrams, are meant to serve as an aid in describing
the embodiments of the present invention, but do not constrain
implementation thereof to any particular hardware or software
embodiments. Unless otherwise noted, the notation used with respect
to the UML diagrams contained herein is consistent with the UML 2.0
specification or variants thereof and is understood by those
skilled in the art.
[0026] An exemplary home entertainment system (HES) 100 including
wirelessly connected devices in accordance with one embodiment of
the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. Interactions between the
various wireless devices in the HES 100 and a user 120 are
coordinated by a wireless home entertainment hub (WHEH) 102. It is
understood by those skilled in the art that a wireless device in
the HES 100 may contain an external wire for the purpose of
supplying power to the wireless device.
[0027] Referring generally to FIGS. 1 and 2, devices in the HES 100
can broadly be classified into two categories: source devices 122
and sink devices 124. Source devices 122 transmit data within the
HES 100. Source devices 122 include, but are not limited to, DVD
players 104, digital video recorders (DVR) (not shown), set-top
boxes (STB) 106 (e.g., cable or satellite channel tuners), gaming
consoles 108 (e.g. Xbox.RTM., PlayStation.RTM.), CD players or
other audio playback devices (e.g., MP3 player) (not shown). It is
understood by those skilled in the art that external data can be
introduced into the HES 100 for transmission by one or more of the
source devices 122 by various means, such as optical fiber,
co-axial cable, or a satellite dish system connected to the STB
106. Sink devices 124 receive the transmitted data within the HES
100, sometimes converting a signal into an audible or visible
stimulus. Sink devices 124 include, but are not limited to,
speakers 110, audio/visual receivers (AVR) 145 (see FIG. 9), and
display devices 112 such as an HDTV or other television, monitor,
or display screen or mechanism.
[0028] Those skilled in the art will recognize that a PC 114 can
act as a source device 122 and/or a sink device 124 within the HES
100. The PC 114 can act ad an audio and/or a video source
transmitting data from, for example, a CD, DVD, stored music and
video media, or data accessed from the Internet. The PC 114 can
also act as a sink device 124 displaying video and audio data from,
for example, the DVD player 104 or STB 106.
[0029] The HES 100 may also utilize a remote control 118 and a
calibration device 116, discussed in greater detail below.
[0030] The WHEH 102 facilitates the transfer of data between the
source and sink devices in the HES 100, as well as coordinates the
interaction between the user 120 and the source and sink devices
122, 124. For example, referring to FIG. 2, the WHEH 102 may
perform a register devices use-case, change source use-case, direct
audio and video signal use-case, program remote use-case, control
volume use-case, and calibrate system use-case, which are described
in more detail below. Within the HES 100, the WHEH 102 controls the
flow of data, information and other "traffic" by recognizing the
devices within the HES 100, tracking their current status (e.g.,
active, standby, etc.), directing the transfer of data between
devices, etc. In addition, the WHEH 102 provides a central
controller for the HES 100 that allows a user 120 to operate the
HES 100 in an efficient manner through interaction with the WHEH
102, which then subsequently provides instructions to the other
devices in the HES 100 to perform the function requested by the
user 120. Such interactions with the WHEH 102 by the user may be
performed through with a visual user interface presented on the
screen of the display device 112. Alternately, the remote control
118 may include a display screen, such as an LCD, to present the
user with a visual interface to the WHEH 102.
[0031] The WHEH 102 includes one or more wireless transceiver units
to facilitate the wireless transfer of data between the source and
sink devices 122, 124 using wireless communication standards
described below, a memory for storing data and other information
generally used in the operation of the HES 100, and a processor for
executing the instruction sets for the functions of performed by
the WHEH 102, including the use-cases listed above. The WHEH 102
may exist as a standalone unit or it may be integrated into another
device. For example, the WHEH may be included in the display device
112 or the remote control 118. One skilled in the art will
recognize that the WHEH 102 can act as a source device 122 and/or a
sink device 124 in the HES 100. For example, the WHEH 102 may
receive data (i.e., acts as a sink unit) from a source unit
currently transmitting data in the HES 100, and process and
transmit that data (i.e., acts as a source unit) to other sink
devices in the HES 100 for presentation to a user 120.
[0032] Ultra-wide band technology (UWB) utilizing orthogonal
frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or a direct sequence
communication system may be used for the wireless communication
between the WHEH 102 and the source and sink devices 122, 124 in
the HES 100. Those skilled in the art will recognize that a number
of other wireless commutation standards, including Bluetooth and
various WiFi standards, can be used without departing from the
spirit and scope of multiple embodiments of the present invention
for transfer of data between devices within the HES 100. In one
embodiment, more than one wireless standard may be utilized within
the HES 100 to facilitate data transfer between the devices. For
example, the WHEH 102 and source and sink devices 122, 124 may each
contain a UWB transceiver for transfer of audio and/or video data
and a WiFi transceiver for transferring operation instructions.
[0033] Referring generally to FIGS. 2-4, audio and video devices in
the HES 100 can be registered with the WHEH 102. The registration
creates a unique association between devices and the WHEH 102 such
that registered devices belonging to the HES 100 are controlled by
WHEH 102, and cannot simultaneously be registered with a different
home entertainment system or another wireless home entertainment
hub operating in a nearby proximity, such as in a neighboring
apartment or household.
User-Initiated Automatic Registration
[0034] Referring to FIG. 3, the user 120 initiates the registration
procedure. The WHEH 102 sends a request for any unregistered device
to respond. The WHEH 102 request may include a unique identifier
for the WHEH 102, such as a WHEH ID number. A device response
includes a unique device identifier, such as a device ID number.
Referring to FIG. 13, a list of responding devices 160 is presented
to the user 120, and the user 120 selects the device that is to be
registered with WHEH 102. The WHEH 102 sends a registration
instruction to the selected device and the registration is stored
on both the device and the WHEH 102. Once a registration has been
established 162, the device is removed from the list 164, and the
registration process is repeated for the remaining unregistered
devices within the HES 100 that have responded to the WHEH 102.
[0035] In an alternate embodiment, the registration procedure is
accomplished automatically between the WHEH 102 and unregistered
devices. For example, the WHEH 102 may periodically broadcast a
request for any unregistered devices to report. In addition to
replying with the device ID number, an unregistered device can
respond with a list of its capabilities so that the WHEH 102 can
determine the functionality of the device (i.e., if it is a DVD
player, DVR, STB, etc.) before sending a registration instruction.
Alternately, the unregistered device can respond with its make and
model number from which the WHEH 102 can determine the
functionality of the device using an internal database of devices
and also obtain any necessary command codes for the device,
[0036] Alternatively, the user 120 may initiate the broadcast for
unregistered sources instead of having the WHEH 102 perform a
periodic broadcast for unregistered sources. For example, when a
user 120 adds a new component or device to the HES 100, a request
to find unregistered sources may be initiated, such that once the
request is initiated, the remaining registration procedure proceeds
automatically as discussed above.
[0037] In an alternate embodiment, the WHEH 102 may automatically
recognize and register all devices in the HES 100. For example, a
user 120 may purchase a set of coordinated devices for wireless HES
100 including, for example, a display, set of multi-channel
speakers, a DVD player 104, and a WHEH 102 (which may be a discreet
device or contained in one of the system devices, such as the
display or remote control). Each of these coordinated devices may
contain a coordinated ID that is recognizable by the WHEH 102.
Additionally, the speakers may be labeled with their intended
position within the HES 100 (e.g., front left, middle right) to aid
the user 120 in their correct placement. Upon placement and
power-up, without any additional actions by the user 120, the WHEH
102 automatically registers the coordinated devices based on their
coordinated ID's that have been set by the device manufacturer.
[0038] The wireless HES 100 may perform an error checking during
the registration of the source and sink devices to make sure that
the device being registered matches the type of device being
requested for registration. The WHEH 102 can compare the list of
capabilities received from the device during the registration with
a list of expected capabilities stored in the WHEH 102. If the
capabilities in the device reply match the expected capabilities of
the WHEH 102, an indication of the registration is stored in the
WHEH 102 and the device. If the capabilities and expected
capabilities do not match, the registration is not stored and may
be re-initiated.
Manual Registration
[0039] The registration may also be performed manually by the user
120 (see FIG. 4). The user 120 initiates a registration procedure
by pressing a registration actuator on the WHEH 102. Examples of
actuators include buttons, touch pads, touch screens, or any other
actuating assembly recognized by those skilled in the art. The user
120 presses a registration actuator on a selected source unit which
sends a signal to the WHEH 102 that a registration should be stored
with this unit. If the WHEH 102 is unable to determine the
functionality of the source (e.g., DVR, DVD, etc), the user 120 may
manually assign the functionality of the source to complete the
registration. For example, if the user 120 selects the registration
actuators on the WHEH 102 and the DVD player 104, the WHEH 102 may
cause "DVD registered" to be displayed if the selected source is
recognized as a DVD player 104 by the WHEH 102. If the selected
source is not recognized, the WHEH 102 may prompt the user 120 to
select the type of source device from a list. Thus, in this case,
the user 120 may select "DVD" in order to complete the
registration. This process is repeated until all the unregistered
sources have been registered with the WHEH 102, or similarly if a
new source is added into an existing system. In other embodiments,
the user 120 may initiate registration from a source device 122, a
sink device 124, a remote control 118, or over a network.
Multi-Instance Device Registration
[0040] For device types where multiple instances of the device
exist within the system 100 (e.g., speakers 110), a number of
approaches can be used to identify each device's specific role. For
speakers 110, the role of each speaker can be pre-identified by the
manufacturer (e.g., "front-right", "subwoofer", etc.). The
user-initiated automatic registration procedure described above
could be used to register the speakers 110 with the WHEH 102 since
the speaker 110 could identify itself, for example, as the front
left speaker, during the registration process. Alternatively, each
speaker 110 could have a physical input that the user 120 could set
to indicate the speaker's role (e.g. "front-left",
"back-right-surround"). In another embodiment, the WHEH 102 could
use one or more microphones within the HES 100 to elicit position
and frequency response information, or the HES 100 could use other
position detection technologies understood by those skilled in the
art.
[0041] In another embodiment, each speaker 110 could have a
registration actuator to be activated in response to a WHEH 102
prompt for a speaker playing a specific role. For instance, the
WHEH 102 could prompt the user 120 for the front-left speaker and
the user 120 could activate the registration actuator. Alternately,
the user 120 may initiate the registration procedure by activating
a registration actuator on the WHEH 102. The user 120 then presses
a registration actuator on a speaker 110 and identifies the
functionality of that speaker 110 within the audio system 100. For
example, at the time of registration, the user 120 identifies the
selected speaker as the left front, the repeats for right front,
continuing until all the speakers 110 have been identified and
registered. In one embodiment, the WHEH 102 may prompt the user 120
with a list or graphic display of speaker positions available as
shown in FIG. 14. The user 120 first selects the speaker 110 to be
registered and then presses the registration actuator on the
selected speaker. In an alternate embodiment, the WHEH 102 may
first prompt the user 120 to enter the number of speakers to be
registered with the WHEH 102 and then select the appropriate
speaker configuration to match. For example, if only four speakers
110 are selected, the WHEH 102 would not present the user 120 with
a Dolby.RTM. Digital 7.1 speaker configuration, but a four speaker
list of left and right front, and left and right rear.
[0042] After device registration is complete, the WHEH 102 may
compare the list of source devices 122 and sink devices 124
registered with the WHEH 102 to a list of possible types of source
devices 122 and sink devices 124 that can be registered with the
WHEH 102. Using the display device 112, the WHEH 102 may present to
the user 120 a list of device types that are missing from the HES
100. The user 120 can indicate whether one or more of the listed
device types are present in the HES 100, indicative of an error in
the registration procedure. These devices can then be registered
with the WHEH 102 using any appropriate method described above. For
example, after registering all the detected devices in a HES 100,
the WHEH 102 determines that a gaming console 108, a DVR, and a
subwoofer are missing device types within the HES 100. A list of
these missing device types is displayed on the HDTV. The user 120
inputs that the subwoofer is present in the HES 100. After the
subwoofer is successfully registered, the user 120 is presented
with a list of gaming console 108 and DVR as the missing device
types. Referring to FIG. 15, in one embodiment, the WHEH 102 may
present the user with a list of devices missing in the HES 100
based on requirements to fully support playback of program content.
For example, if a DVD program contains a 5 channel audio track, but
only two speakers, front left and front right, are registered with
the WHEH 102, the WHEH 102 may display an indication to the user
120 that a rear left, rear right, center channel and subwoofer may
be added to the HES 100 to enhance the audio experience of the user
120.
[0043] Once the WHEH 102 has determined a list of missing device
types, the WHEH 102 may then cause advertisements for the missing
devices to be displayed to the user 120 on the display device 112.
The advertisements may be generic advertisements for the missing
device type or may be sponsored advertisements for a specific brand
of the missing device. Advertisements may be stored on the WHEH 102
or received from programming channels accessible using the STB 106.
Alternately, the advertisements may be retrieved from a computer
network (e.g. the Internet) through a direct connection of the WHEH
102 to the computer network or via a PC 114 connected to the
computer network and registered with the WHEH 102. For example, the
WHEH 102 determines that no DVR is registered with the WHEH 102.
The WHEH 102 transmits an advertisement for a DVR stored in the
WHEH 102 to the display device 112 for presentation to the user 120
just after the user 120 has initiated the entertainment session and
before displaying the requested programming. Alternately, the WHEH
102 may insert advertisements into the programming by replacing an
advertisement from the programming stream with an advertisement for
the missing device or device type. For example, if a gaming console
108 is determined to be missing, the WHEH 102 may detect an
advertisement for a gaming console 108 on a programming channel
received on the STB 106. The WHEH 102 stores the advertisement for
the gaming console 108 and replaces advertisements in the regular
programming stream with the stored advertisement for a gaming
console 108.
[0044] The presentation of the advertisement may be repeated for a
predetermined length of time (e.g. for 4 weeks) or until the
missing device is registered with the WHEH 102. The insertion of
advertisements for missing devices or device types may also be
limited to a range of dates and/or times. For example,
advertisements for gaming consoles 108 may be presented to the user
120 from the middle of November until the end of December to
correspond to a holiday shopping season. Alternately, the insertion
of the advertisements may be based on an identification of the user
by the WHEH 102.
Source Selection
[0045] Referring generally to FIGS. 2, 5-7, in addition to
coordinating the registration of device within the HES 100 as
described above, the WHEH 102 is also used to coordinate and/or
control the state of the source and sink devices and the transfer
of data from the source devices to sink devices during typical
operation of the HES 100. Device states (also referred to as modes)
may include "on", "off", "active", "low power", "standby", etc.
Data may include instructions, audio/video programming, or any
other information generally passed between or among source/sink
devices. Some examples of typical operations that are common in the
general utilization of the HES 100 by the user 120 are a request or
action by the user 120 to activate a source (e.g., start watching
programming from a cable broadcast) or initiate a change from one
source device to another (e.g., discontinue watching programming
from a cable broadcast to watching a movie on the DVD player). The
request to activate a source device or to change from one source
device to another can be accomplished in a several ways. The user
may initiate the action though the use of the remote control 118,
or interact directly with a source device. For example, when a user
inserts a DVD into the DVD player 104, it automatically causes the
WHEH 102 to activate the DVD player 104 (or initiate a source
change as described below if another source is already active in
the HES 100). In either case, once the request has been made by the
user 120, the WHEH 102 completes the process as described
below.
[0046] FIG. 5. is sequence diagram showing the selection of a
source device 122 by the WHEH 102 in one embodiment of the HES 100.
When a source device is activated, it begins transmitting data to
the HES 100. The instruction to activate also causes an internal
reference count within the source device to increment by one, where
the reference count represents the current number of zones
(described in more detail below) that are receiving data from the
source device For example, if the source device, currently in
standby mode, is activated, its reference count increases to one.
After a user 120 initiates a request to change to a new source, the
WHEH 102 instructs the current active source device to decrement
its internal reference count by one. When the active source device
internal reference count is zero, the source device may stop
transmitting and enter a low power or stand-by mode. If the
internal reference count is not zero, the source device continues
to transmit since there are other devices still listening to its
transmission. The WHEH 102 then instructs the newly selected source
unit to activate, including increasing its internal reference count
by one, and the newly selected source device begins transmitting
data to the HES 100. The sink devices may receive the transmitted
data directly from the current active source or from the WHEH 100,
both described below. In an alternate embodiment, a list of the
sink devices 124 in one or more zones of the HES 100 that are
listening for data from the source device 122 is stored in the
source device 122. Sink devices 124 are added or removed from the
list as directed by the WHEH 102. When there are no sink devices on
the list, the source device may stop transmitting and enter a low
power or stand-by mode.
Direct Source to Sink Data Transmission
[0047] Referring to FIG. 6, after a source activation or change is
initiated within the HES 100 as described above, the WHEH 102
broadcasts to all sink units, or those that are relevant, an
instruction to discontinue receiving and transmitting data from the
previously active source and begin receiving the transmitted data
from the newly selected source, where the activities in FIG. 6.
labeled "transmitVideo( )" and "transmitAudio( )" represent a
continuous stream of data from the source device 122 to the sink
devices 124. This instruction from the WHEH 102 may be broadcast as
a single instruction to all units (i.e., a common instruction
recognizable by any device in the HES 100) or may be a distinct
instruction sent to each of the sink units. Audio and/or video data
from the current active source device is transmitted directly to
the relevant sink devices as instructed by the WHEH 102. For
example, the display device 112 and speaker 110 receive and present
the video data and audio data, respectively, from the current
active source device. In one embodiment, the newly selected source
device that has been activated in the HES 100 may transmit one or
more instructions directly to the sink units to begin receiving and
presenting the data from the newly selected source and discontinue
presenting the data from the previously active source.
Source to Sink Data Transmission Through the WHEH
[0048] In an alternate embodiment, the sink units in the HES 100
receive data from the wireless home entertainment hub (see FIG. 7).
The WHEH 102 receives the audio and video data from the current
active source device and transmits the audio and video data to the
appropriate sink unit. If a source change is initiated within the
HES 100 as described above, the sink units may be unaware of a
change of source with the HES 100 since they always listen to
(i.e., receive data from) the WHEH 102, and not directly to the
active source device.
[0049] In one embodiment, more than one source can be designed as
an active source by the WHEH 102. Data from multiple active sources
can be simultaneously presented by the relevant sink devices as
described by the two methods above. The WHEH 102 receives the data
from the two or more active source devices and transmits the data
to the relevant sink devices. The WHEH 102 may process (e.g., mix)
the data from the two or more source devices before transmitting.
Alternately, the WHEH 102 may instruct the sink devices to listen
to and present data transmitted directly from the two or more
active sink devices.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 8, in one embodiment of the present
invention, a remote control 118 is used with the HES 100. The
remote control 118 receives actuator assignments based on the
currently active source in the HES 100 from the WHEH 102. For
example, if the DVD player 104 is currently the active source, the
actuator assignment on the remote control 118 is for the DVD player
104. When a user 120 activates an actuator on the remote control
118, the actuator selection is sent directly to the DVD player 104,
which responds with the corresponding activity for that actuator.
If the user 120 initiates a source change through the WHEH 102 as
described above, (e.g. from the DVD player 104 to the set-top
tuner), then the WHEH 102 sends a new actuator assignment to the
remote control 118 for the set-top tuner. Actuators activated on
the remote control 118 by a user 120 now cause an activity in the
set-top box instead of the DVD player 104. This method of operation
of the remote control 118 is referred to a "dumb" remote. The
functionality of the actuators on the remote control is controlled
by the WHEH 102 based on the current active source in the HES 100.
The remote does not need to store any information about past or
present states of the HES 100 or registration information between
the devices in the HES 100.
[0051] In an alternate embodiment, a "smart" remote may be used in
conjunction with the HES 100. The smart remote learns and stores
the system configuration, i.e., what source and sink devices are
registered with the WHEH 102. It also learns and stores the current
state of the system, i.e., what sources and sinks are active. In
addition, the smart remote stores the actuator assignments in an
internal memory and may store system status information along with
device registration information. When a user 120 requests a source
change using the remote, the WHEH 102 activates the new source as
describe above, and the functionality of the remote control 118 is
switched to controlling the newly active source without any input
from the WHEH 102 to re-assign the actuators as described in the
dumb remote case above. In one embodiment, the WHEH 102 may be
contained in the smart remote instead of the display device
112.
[0052] A handheld mobile device, such as cellular phone or personal
digital assistant, can use appropriate wireless capabilities to
communicate with a WHEH 102, obtain information to build and
present a user interface, and serve as a remote control 118 for the
HES 100. In addition, the capabilities of the HES 100 may be used
to enhance the functionality of the handheld mobile device. For
example, when a cellular phone is active the remote control 118,
the active display device 112 may display CallerID information or
other information generally presented on the cellular phone display
to the user 120 during an incoming telephone call.
[0053] The WHEH 102 may respond to voice commands. A user 120 can
perform some or all of the functionality of the remote control 118
by using simple audible commands. For example, to change the STB to
channel 21, the user 120 might say "Channel 21" and the WHEH 102
sends the corresponding instruction to the STB to complete the
channel change, or use the command "Volume Up" increase the system
volume, where the WHEH 102 send instructions to the active sink
unit to increase volume.
[0054] In one embodiment, the WHEH 102 may respond to physical
gestures made by the user 120 with the remote control 118. A user
can provide instructions to the WHEH 102 corresponding to a
predetermined set of physical motions of the remote. The remote
control 118 may include a motion sensing system that can relay
motion information in up to 3-dimensions to the WHEH 102.
Additionally, the WHEH 102 or remote control 118 may include
directional sensors to determine the orientation of the remote
control relative to the HES 100 or sense rotation. Such motion
sensing systems and directional sensors are understood by those
skilled in the art. For example, a user wishing to switch from
watching the DVD player to the STB 106 may simply point the remote
at the STB 106, actuating an actuator on the remote control 118 to
select a programming channel. Alternately, channel selection may be
accomplished by a quick series of left or right motions of the
remote control, each left or right motion decrementing or
incrementing, respectively, the channel displayed by the STB 106.
Volume control may be accomplished, for example, by a vertical
motion of the remote control 118 directed at the display device 112
or speakers 110. In this manner, the volume of each speaker can be
adjusted independently of the other speakers. In one embodiment,
gestures may be used to move presentation of video content from one
display device to another, engage picture-in-picture functionality,
or perform other manipulations.
Power Management
[0055] At startup of an entertainment session, a user 120 may
direct a power-on message to the WHEH 102, via a remote control 118
or perhaps via an actuator on the WHEH 102 or device containing
WHEH 102 functionality. The WHEH 102 can then retrieve input from
the user 120 regarding the capabilities required for the session
and send activation messages to appropriate devices.
[0056] In another embodiment, a source device 122 can send a
broadcast message to the sink devices 124 in the home entertainment
network indicating required presentation capabilities. Required
devices can activate themselves and unneeded devices can enter a
low-power state. For example, all devices in the system are in a
lower power mode. The user inserts a DVD into the DVD player 104
which causes the DVD to become active. The WHEH 102 detects the
activity of the DVD player 104 and instructs the display device 112
and speakers 110 to activate. Alternately, the display device 112
and speakers detect the activity of the DVD player 104 directly and
activate.
[0057] In one embodiment, upon indication from the active source
device of the required audio output channels, the WHEH 102 sends
signals to the audio sink devices to indicate whether or not they
should remain active. For instance, upon indication of a Dolby.RTM.
Digital 2.1 program, the WHEH 102 may communicate to the side and
rear speakers that they may enter a low power mode. Similarly, when
an audio-only program is indicated, for example from the CD player,
the WHEH 102 can communicate to the video display device 112 that
it may enter a low power non-display state.
[0058] Devices in the HES 100 may contain low-powered radios (i.e.,
transceivers) that poll for activity or constantly monitor for WHEH
102 messages during a low-power device state. Wireless radios
conforming to the "ZigBee" standards can be used in some
embodiments. "Bluetooth" or "WiFi" radios can be used in other
embodiments. Modes of "UWB" can also be used to detect
communications during low-power operations.
Volume Control
[0059] Volume control, including system muting, can be accomplished
in multiple ways. In one embodiment, all active audio sink devices
may individually detect that the remote control 118 has transmitted
an instruction to change the volume. For instance, the eight
speakers of a 7.1 surround sound system each detect a "volume up"
instruction transmitted from the remote control 118. Each speaker
then increases the gain on its internal amplifier, thereby driving
the speaker to higher volume. Alternatively, the WHEH 102 can
detect an instruction from the remote control 118 requesting a
volume change and transmit to all the audio sink devices one or
more instructions to change their volume.
System Calibration
[0060] For calibration of the HES 100, a wireless calibration
device 116 may be placed at a typical viewing and/or listening
position 121 (e.g., near or on a chair or couch that a user 120
would sit to view the television) of the HES 100 by the user 120
(see FIG. 1). Referring to FIG. 16, for audio calibration, the WHEH
102 can direct a calibration signal to each audio device in
sequence or in combination, or each audio device can be directed to
generate its own calibration program. A microphone in the wireless
calibration device 116 monitors the calibration signals from the
audio devices, and can communicate its readings to the WHEH 102 or
back to the audio devices in a point-to-point or broadcast mode.
Adjustments can then be made to the frequency characteristics,
volume, or other parameters to provide a calibrated home theater
environment. Similarly, a wireless light sensitive device can be
used to monitor a calibration signal from one or more display
devices 112 to provide video calibration of the system. In one
embodiment, the microphone and light sensitive device may be
contained in a single calibration unit. Alternately, the microphone
and light sensitive may be contained in separate calibration units.
In one embodiment, an actuator on the microphone device can cause
the device to communicate with the hub to initiate the calibration
sequence.
A/V Receiver
[0061] Referring to FIG. 9, one or more audio/visual receivers
(AVR) 145 or amplifiers can be used to connect the HES 100 to
speaker system. The speaker system may be wired 140, wireless 142
or a combination thereof. For example, the front speakers 142 in a
four speaker system may be wirelessly connected 146 to the AVR 145,
while the rear speakers 140 are connected by a wire 148 to the AVR
145. The AVR 145 is registered with the WHEH 102 and receives audio
data from an active source (not shown) or through the WHEH 102, as
described above. The AVR 145 transmits the received audio data to
the appropriate speakers 140, 142, either through the wired
connection 148 or by wireless communication 146. It should be noted
that if the AVR 145 is configured for use with wireless speakers
142, these wireless speakers 142 are not registered with the WHEH
102 as described above and do not receive data from the WHEH 102 or
source devices 122 in the HES 100, but instead communicate with the
AVR 145 using methods understood by those skilled in the art.
Legacy Adaptor
[0062] Referring to FIG. 10, a home theatre network interface box
(HTNIB) 125 may be used to connect "legacy" devices 130 into the
HES 100, including the WHEH 102. Legacy devices generally include
those devices that require hardwire connection for transmission
and/or receipt of data and are not wireless enabled (e.g., an
analog television connected to a set-top box using coaxial cable),
although a wireless device may also be considered a legacy device
if the wireless device can not be configured to communicate with
the wireless home entertainment hub. The legacy device is connected
to the HTNIB 125 using a hardwire connection 128 (e.g. coaxial
cable). The HTNIB 125 is capable of being registered with the WHEH
102, and recognized by the WHEH 102 as the legacy device to which
it is connected. The WHEH 102 directs data to and/or from the HTNIB
125 as appropriate to the type of legacy device to which the HTNIB
125 is connected. The HTNIB 125 passes data to and/or from the
connected legacy device as required by the current configuration of
the HES 100. If a legacy source device outputs data in either an
analog format or a digital format different than that used by the
WHEH 102, the HTNIB 125 can convert the output data into a digital
format compatible with transmission between the WHEH 102 and
registered devices within the HES 100. Similarly, if the HTNIB 125
is connected to a legacy sink device, the HTNIB may convert the
digital data from the source device into either an analog format or
a different digital format compatible with the legacy device. For
example, if a video cassette recorder (VCR) is connected to the
HTNIB 125, the WHEH 102 will recognize the NTNIB 125 as a VCR, and
when the user 120 selects the source unit VCR, will instruct the
sink devices 124 in the HES 100 to listen to the transmission from
the NTNIB 125, which is transmitting the data received from the
cable connected to the VCR. One or more HTNIBs 125 could be used in
the HES 100 to connect one or more legacy devices. In one
embodiment, a single HTNIB 125 could used to connect one or more
legacy devices to the HES 100, wherein the HTNIB 125 contains one
or more connections for sink and source devices. Each connection
can be uniquely registered with the WHEH 102.
Multi-Zone Operation
[0063] A single WHEH 102 may provide programming to multiple sets
of sink devices that are registered with the WHEH 102. The HES 100
may be partitioned into one or more zones. Each sink device 124 in
the HES 100 can be assigned to a zone. Zone assignment may be
performed at the time of device registration with the WHEH 102.
Zone assignment or changing zone assignments can also be
accomplished at any time after device registration. An example of
zone partitions within a HES 100 is that zone 1 includes the
display device and 7.1 speaker system in the living room; zone 2
includes a display device in the bedroom; zone 3 includes an AVR
145 connected to speakers in the kitchen; and zone 4 includes a PC
114 in the home office. Multi-zone operation allows users 120 in
different partitions of the HES 100 to received data from different
source devices 122 registered with the WHEH 102. For instance, the
sink devices in zone 1 are presenting the program from an HD-DVD,
while the speakers in the kitchen connected to the AVR 145 in zone
3 are presenting audio from a wireless music storage device that is
also registered with the WHEH 102. Zone assignments can be designed
by the user 120. Alternately, devices can be assigned to a zone in
the HES 100 by the WHEH 102 based on determining the location of
the device and identifying clusters of device as separate zones.
The device locations may be input by the user during or after the
time of device registration, or the WHEH 102 may automatically
determine the locations of registered devices.
[0064] In one embodiment, the WHEH 102 can receive an audio source
signal containing more channels than can be presented in the
current HES 100 (e.g., the audio signal is configured for a 7.1
system, but the installed HES 100 utilizes a 5.1 speaker
configuration.) The WHEH 102 can process and downmix the audio
signal for presentation on the available speaker configuration. As
described above, the WHEH 102 may also provide to the user 120 an
indication that the audio signal contains more audio channels than
the current configuration of the HES 100 can support, and recommend
to the user 120 that additional speakers 110 be added to the HES
100 to fully support playback of such audio.
[0065] Programming or program content may include multiple video
streams, which may also be referred to as side channels. One or
more of the multiple video streams may be presented to the user 120
on the display device 112, depending on the configuration of the
HES 100 (discussed in more detail below). As an example, a user may
make a program selection from the offerings of a cable operator by
tuning by tuning the STB 106 to "Channel 6". The program content
received by the STB 106 from the cable operator may include
multiple video streams, including the video stream with the program
selection that the user has requested. The video stream with the
requested program selection is displayed on the display device 112.
The other video streams also contained in the program content
received by the STB 106 may or may not be presented to the user
120, depending on the configuration of the HES 100, or preferences
of the user 120.
[0066] Display devices 112 of the HES 100 may also be used as
picture displays to show still images, instead of video
programming, such as a flat panel LCD display mounted on a wall or
free-standing on a table top. Multiple display devices used as
picture displays may be placed throughout a home and assigned to
zones of the HES 100 as described above. In one embodiment, display
devices in the same room of a household may be assigned to
different zones of the HES 100. The user 102 can coordinate the
display of still images on the displays in each zone through the
WHEH 102. The user 120 can set up a folder of images on a PC 114
registered with the WHEH 102, or use a pre-packaged gallery of
images stored in the PC 114 or in the WHEH 102. The WHEH 102 can
coordinate the display of the images in the various zones of the
HES 100. The still images may be displayed for an extended period
of time, such as favorite painting or landscape, or the displayed
image may be changed periodically, such as showing a slideshow of
family members. The WHEH 102 may cause the same still image to be
displayed in all zones, or have a common theme, such as artist or
subject, among all the images displayed in each of the zones.
Images may be changed daily, seasonally, or at any predetermined
interval. Such changes may be automatic determined by the WHEH 102
or may be manually triggered by the user 120.
[0067] The HES 100 may also contain more than one display device
112 assigned to the same zone. Each display device 112 is
registered with the WHEH 102 using one of the methods described
above. The user may choose to designate one of the display devices
112 as the primary display device during or after registration of
the display device 112, or alternately the WHEH 102 may
automatically designate one of the display devices 112 as a primary
display based on the characteristics of the display device, such a
screen size or pixel density, with the other display devices being
designated as secondary displays. For example, referring to FIG.
11, if a 51'' HDTV 180 and two 32'' HDTV's 185 are registered with
the WHEH 102 and assigned to the same zone, the WHEH 102 may
automatically designate the 51'' HDTV 180 as the primary display
based on larger screen size, while the 32'' HDTV's 185 become the
secondary displays. Secondary displays can be used to show
supplemental program content that is complimentary to the main
program content being displayed on the primary display. This
supplemental program content may be encoded in the main program
stream received from a content service provider, or may be
transmitted as a separate program stream or side channel. Some
examples of supplemental program content that may be shown on the
secondary displays include viewer e-mails during a talk show, stock
prices, financial, or other information about a company during a
business report directed to that company, still images related to
material presented during a documentary, and scores, playing
schedules other team information during a sportscast related to
that team. The secondary display may also present alternate views
of an event during news reporting. For example, the on-location
reporter is on the primary screen, while alternate video related to
that location is shown on the secondary displays. The secondary
display may also be used to display extra program content included
on a DVD. For example, bloopers or directors commentary
corresponding to the scene of a movie presented on the primary
display can be shown on the secondary display. In one embodiment,
the primary or secondary displays may be used to display content
corresponding to a music program being presenting in the HES 100.
The video content may be video or still images contained on a
compact disc or received along with the music stream from a PC 114
or other music channel, such as terrestrial or satellite radio.
[0068] Screen captures from video being presented on the primary
display may also be shown on the secondary display. If there is
more than one secondary display, previous screen captures can be
retained while subsequent screen captures can be shown on a
different secondary display until all the secondary displays are
displaying a different still image. The next screen capture then
replaces the screen capture on the first display. For example,
during a sporting event, a replay is being viewed on the primary
HD-TV. The user 120 activates an actuator on the remote control 118
to indicate the current frame of the HD-TV display should be stored
and displayed on one of the secondary displays. Alternately, the
WHEH 102 can automatically initiate a screen capture from the
primary display. Using the previous example of a sporting event
replay, the WHEH 102 may detect a slow-motion replay in the video
stream using methods understood by those skilled in the art and
select a frame from the video to display on the secondary display.
The frame might be selected based on a still or nearly still video
image on primary display, or the frame might be selected based on a
repeated showing of the video clip in a short predetermined time
interval. As another example of automatic screen capture, a frame
may be captured from the primary display at a random or
predetermined interval and sent to the secondary displays for
presentation to the user 120.
[0069] The secondary display may also be used to present
advertisements concurrent with main program content shown on the
primary display. The advertisements may be related to a product
currently being featured in the main program content, such as for
an automobile or a brand of food or drink.
[0070] The secondary display can present to the user 120 a website
corresponding to an Internet address displayed on the primary
display. The Internet address may be transmitted along with but
separate from the program content and received by the WHEH 102,
which detects the Internet address in the program stream and
retrieves the content of the website using a network connection
available within the HES 100. Alternately, the WHEH 102 may derive
a web address shown on the primary display through OCR on frames
formed from the program content of the main display, or the WHEH
102 may utilize other methods of character recognition understood
by those skilled in the art. In one embodiment the user may browse
the website presented on the secondary display using the remote
control 118.
[0071] Referring to FIG. 12, the HES 100 may contain a number of
identical or nearly identical display devices 112 arranged to
provide the user 120 with a wide angle video experience. In one
embodiment, the display devices 112 may be arranged to completely
encircle the user 120 providing a surround video experience. A
source device 122 provides program content containing multiple
video streams which, when displayed on the multiple display devices
112, provide a panoramic view of the program content to the user
120. The WHEH 102 may direct the source device to transmit each of
the video streams to the appropriate display device. Alternately,
the WHEH 102 may receive the transmission from the source device,
and transmit the appropriate video stream to the corresponding
display device 112. In an alternate embodiment, multi-stream video
program content may be displayed on a single display device 112 by
compositing the video streams by the WHEH 102 for display on a
single device. For example, if program content contains data for
three separate video streams that can be displayed to form a
multi-display program, and the HES 100 contains only one display
device, the WHEH 102 can composite the three video streams to be
displayed on the one display device 112 in the HES 100.
[0072] Systems using a WHEH 102 can be supplied in a low-security
configuration to ease installation by non-technical users. In an
embodiment with higher security, the user 120 can enter a code on
one device and confirm the code on another device or on the user
interface. In another embodiment, various system components can
ship with awareness of unique identifiers of other devices in the
system.
[0073] The WHEH 102 may be used to wirelessly connect musical
devices. Musical source devices and musical sink devices can be
connected to a mixing board containing an advanced embodiment of
the WHEH 102. Musical source devices include, but are not limited
to, musical instruments, microphones, effects systems, and
amplifiers. Musical sink devices include by are not limited to
speakers, and audio monitors. The mixing board acts as both a sink
unit and source unit, and is a convenient location for placement of
the WHEH 102. The musical devices are all registered with the WHEH
102 similar to the produce procedure described above for the HES
100.
[0074] The WHEH 102 may detect and/or identify the specific user or
users of the HES 100 through RFID, image capture and analysis,
voice recognition, or other personal identification technologies
understood by those skilled in the art. In one embodiment, the
remote control 118 may be equipped with a fingerprint scanner used
for identification of the user 120. The identification of the user
120 can be used to control access to various devices of the HES 100
based on a set of rules customizable for each user of the HES 100
by an authorized user (i.e., parent). For example, access to one or
more devices can be denied based on time of day. Similarly, access
to certain programming channels can also be denied based on a
television program rating system, time of day, or selected
channels. For example, users identified as children may not be
allowed access to an Xbox.RTM. gaming console before 5 PM on
weekdays or may not be allowed to view channels showing television
programming rated TV-MA (under the US TV Parental Guidelines).
[0075] Characteristics of the HES 100 may be automatically adjusted
based on identification of the user 120 by the WHEH 102.
Characteristics of the HES 100 include physical characteristics,
such as the height or orientation (e.g. rotation, tilt) of the
display device or speakers, and system characteristics, such as
volume or equalization of the audio, or channel on the STB 106. A
profile may be stored in the WHEH 102 with information about the
characteristics of the HES 100 corresponding to the user 120. The
profile may be set by the user 120 or the WHEH 102 may store the
last configuration of the HES 100 for each user 120 and return the
HES 100 to that configuration when the user 120 begins an
entertainment session. In one embodiment, the profile also contains
information about positioning or adjustments of viewing location
121, such as a couch or chair equipped with automatic adjustment
mechanisms understood by those skilled in the art.
[0076] Referring to FIG. 17, the movement of a user 120 in the HES
100 can be monitored by the WHEH 102 using personal identification
technologies, such as those described above, so that the
programming content presented to the user in one zone of the HES
100 can be automatically re-directed by the WHEH 102 to a different
zone in the HES 100 as the user 120 moves into that zone. Personal
identification devices located in the different zones of the HES
100 are used to detect the position of the user as the user moves
from one zone to another within a zone of the HES 100. The position
information is transmitted to the WHEH 102. The WHEH 102 then
instructs the sink devices in the zone that the user has moved into
to start presenting the program content. Thus, after a user 120
initiates an entertainment session in one zone of the HES 100, the
program content from a source device 122 being presented to a user
120 by sink device 124 in a first zone of the HES 100 is directed
to an appropriate set of sink devices in a second zone of the HES
102 by the WHEH 102. If the WHEH 102 detects that no users are
present in the first zone, the WHEH 102 may instruct the sink
devices in that zone to stop presenting the program content and
enter a low power mode. In one embodiment, the WHEH 102 receives
program content from a source device 124, and transmits that
programming content to sink devices 124 in the zone where the user
is located. For example, in a multi-zone HES 100 equipped with an
RFID system, if the evening news is being viewed in the living room
zone of the HES 100, and the user 102 identified using an RFID tag
moves into the kitchen zone that includes a display device 112, the
evening news program is automatically directed to the kitchen zone
by the WHEH 102 when the RFID system identifies the user 102 in the
kitchen zone and transmits the location of the user 102 in that
zone to the WHEH 102. Audio program content can similarly be
presented to a user 120 moving into different zones of the HES
100.
[0077] In one embodiment, the WHEH 102 automatically presents a
user 102 with program content based on their location in the HES
100 and viewing and/or listening trends of the user. The WHEH 102
keeps a history of the programming choices of a user for different
zones and different times, and can present the user with
programming content based on these trends. For example, if a user
typically watches a specific weather broadcast every morning around
a certain time, the WHEH 102 cause that programming channel to be
displayed in the zone that the user is currently located, even if
the user has not requested to start an entertainment session to
view that program channel.
[0078] The HES 100 may be used as an interface for a voice-over-IP
protocol (VoIP). VoIP systems are well understood by those skilled
in the art. The VoIP data may be received from a computer network
(e.g. the Internet) through a direct connection of the WHEH 102 to
the computer network or via a PC 114 connected to the computer
network and registered with the WHEH 102. Referring to FIG. 18,
when an incoming call is detected by the WHEH 102 or the PC has
sent an indication to the WHEH 102 of an incoming call, the WHEH
102 sends an alert to the user 102. The alert may be a visual
indicator on each display device 112 in the HES 100, and/or and
audible tone from the speakers 110. The user accepts the VoIP call
using the remote control device 118 or with a voice command. A
microphone contained in one of the devices registered with the WHEH
102 is used as a receiver for voice, and the speakers are used to
present voice data to the user 102. If the caller has webcam or
other video capture device, the video data of the VoIP call can be
presented in the display device 112. When alerted to a call, the
user 120 may choose to pause or pre-empt the data being presenting
in order to show video data from the caller. In one embodiment, the
VoIP feature may utilize picture in picture technology for
simultaneously displaying video VoIP data and video program
content. The caller video can be displayed in a box inside the
program content, or alternately, the video call may occupy the main
portion of the display, and the program content in the box. For
conference calling, split screen may be used to display the video
data for each of the callers. In a multi-zone HES 100 configured
with multiple receivers, the WHEH 102 may transfer the voice data
to sink device 124 in the different zones as the user moves around
the HES 100. Tracking the position of the user may be accomplished
through determining which microphone is closest to the user by
monitoring relative intensity of the user's voice at the different
microphones located in the HES 100. If video data accompanies the
voice data, the WHEH 102 can direct the video to a display device
112 in user's current zone. In one embodiment, the a wireless VoIP
phone handset is registered with the WHEH 102, where the handset is
used to receive and dial calls in a manner similar to a standard
telephone.
[0079] The embodiments of the present invention may be implemented
with any combination of hardware and software. If implemented as a
computer-implemented apparatus, the present invention is
implemented using means for performing all of the steps and
functions described above.
[0080] The embodiments of the present invention can be included in
an article of manufacture (e.g., one or more computer program
products) having, for instance, computer useable media. The media
has embodied therein, for instance, computer readable program code
means for providing and facilitating the mechanisms of the present
invention. The article of manufacture can be included as part of a
computer system or sold separately.
[0081] While specific embodiments have been described in detail in
the foregoing detailed description and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated by those skilled in
the art that various modifications and alternatives to those
details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the
disclosure and the broad inventive concepts thereof. It is
understood, therefore, that the scope of the present invention is
not limited to the particular examples and implementations
disclosed herein, but is intended to cover modifications within the
spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims and any
and all equivalents thereof.
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